


Swimming Through Stars

by MsBluebell



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Culture, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space Mermaids, Anthropology, Courting Rituals, Everyone wants to figure out the space mermaid hanging around, Fluff and Humor, Getting to Know Each Other, Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Keith & Shiro (Voltron) are Adoptive Siblings, Language Barrier, M/M, Mermaid!Shiro, Mermaids In Space!, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), Puppy Love, Sam Holt is a Shiro Stan, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Space Colony, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Space mermaids, mermaid!Keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 03:11:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15572418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsBluebell/pseuds/MsBluebell
Summary: The GCS Odyssey is the biggest colony ship Earth has ever seen. Leaving the planet behind to settle a colony on a new world and expand territory.Somehow, Adam didn't expect mermaids to find the ship.





	Swimming Through Stars

Garrison Colony Ship Odyssey carried well over one hundred-thousand volunteer colonist for project Hestia. A large gathering of civilians with every set of skills and circumstances that would be beneficial to the start of a new colony had been gathered and sheltered inside of the ship, already starting their new life within the confines of the living dome. Chief among these volunteers were the members of the Galaxy Garrison who had started the project, each and every one working to ensure that the GCS Odyssey reached the Rhea, the planet with which colonization would begin.

Commander Adam Wells was responsible for each and every one of these volunteers. He, as the head of the colonization project, needed to make absolute sure the crew and civilians were happy and healthy, and that all systems were working. Every single life on this ship was counting on him to stay in control of the situation at all times, and he took his job very seriously.

Needless to say, he did not like disturbances.

A smooth sailing ship was a happy ship, and a happy ship was a safe ship.

Adam’s brown eyes flickered over the assorted pilots. The GCS Odyssey was large enough to require no less than six pilots at all times in order to run efficiently, and the pilots on board rotated shifts as constantly as possible to keep stress levels down. They had now less than thirty-six pilots at all times, and the Garrison’s flight school were training future pilots among the children brought along with families who volunteered for colonization.

It was a good system, an efficient one.

Reaching Rhea would take a long time, at least a few years, and that was after already being on course for the better part of a year. During that time they had to keep the GCS Odyssey running perfectly, and even when they finally reached Rhea they would have to keep the ship powered and running until they cultivated a society on the planet and set up communication with Earth. And until that happened it feel to Adam to make sure that nothing went wrong. All the lives on this ship were in his hands, and if anything were to happen it was his responsibility and he was the one accountable.

He would do anything to make sure every person on this ship reached Rhea safely

Adam moved forward, eyeing the endless void of space, the stars doting the sky delicately as they drifted along the empty path. The man’s eye flickered, searching for any sign that something would go wrong, but there was nothing.

It was eerily calm today. Normally several dozen things would need his attention by now, but today everything seemed to be working remarkably smoothly.

He didn’t trust it.

Adam stepped away from the brig, moving down the corridor towards the labs. Samuel Holt, his head scientist, was the most competent man on Adam knew, but it never hurt to double check and make sure that absolutely everything was in working order.

The corridors in the upper brig were always busy, various members of the crew hastily working to keep the ship functioning and on course. They each knew very well what would happen if they failed to keep their mission in line, and they knew Adam wasn’t even the worst they would face if something went wrong. A few took the time to salute him as he walked by, but by now most had gotten used to their place on the ship and kept busy. It was no different when he reached the labs, mechanical doors parting way for him. Not a single scientist looked up, and their assistants only threw brief glances his way before deeming his visit unimportant.

Adam silently made his way over to Professor Holt’s office. The door slide open without resistance, meaning that the man was at least leisurely enough to keep the Commander from pulling rank and demanding the man leave his labs for a time. Having the rest of the Holt family certainly kept the man in line.

Sam Holt sat at his override desk, studying a fine dish with a scalpel in one hand and a magnified glass in the other. The man was absorbed in his work, barely even looking up as Adam approached the desk.

“Ah, Commander, to what to I owe the pleasure?” Sam hummed, looking up from his work.

“Good evening, Professor Holt.” Adam nodded, moving to star down at the desk, “I came to do a routine check of the labs.”

“Ah. Slow day I take it?” Sam laughed, “I’m afraid that everything is going smoothly here. You’ll have to check elsewhere for disaster.”

Adam frowned, “I hope there is no disaster to be found Professor Holt.”

“Now calm down.” Sam’s lips quirked, “I was only joking, no one wants anything to go wrong.”

“I should hope not.” Adam nodded, “I would hate to think of what someone who wanted to sabotage us would do.”

“I think you need to relax.” Sam pushed aside his work, focusing his attention solely on Adam now, “Becoming overly paranoid is bad for your health.”

“I would rather double check to make sure everything is running smoothly.” Adam insisted, adjusting his glasses, “I would rather be ready when something goes wrong, or better yet, prevent any possible errors before they happen.”

Sam huffed, crossing his forearms over themselves, “There are two other Commanders on board, you don’t have to do everything at every moment. You should relax, take some time to yourself, find a hobby. Are you even on shift right now?”

“I am.” Adam nodded, “For the next hour.”

“You should go out into the Dome.” Sam hummed, “Take time to enjoy the city, go to the gardens, see the park.”

“I’ll do those things during my routine check.” Adam reassured the man.

“No, I mean actually see them, not just check with the overseers.” Sam shrugged, “You can’t just stay in the Commander’s Apartments all day, it can’t be healthy. Go out and check some of the restaurants.”

“I don’t need to, I have meals brought to my apartment.” Adam adjusts his glasses again.

“You need some fresh air Adam.” Sam leans foreword, “This may be bold, but why not join my family and I for dinner this week? You haven’t come over for a meal since before we left Earth. You could see our new home”

Adam sighed. Objectively he know that Sam was correct, and that leaving his apartment would be good for him, but lately it just hadn’t had the motivation. He’d meant to go out, explore the city in the Dome, eat at some of the restaurants, but lately he’d fallen into a bit of melancholy that he couldn’t seem to get over. Whenever he wasn’t working he found himself in his apartment, going through movies or sleepily lazing through the sluggish hours until sleep finally took him.

He just couldn’t find motivation to leave the comfort of his apartment. He was an introverted man, and it was easy to find things to satisfy him at home.

He sighed, slipping off his classes for a moment and fiddling with them, “I don’t know Sam.”

“It will be good for you.” Sam reassured, “Matt and Katie have been wondering about you, and it will get you out of the apartment for more than just work. You don’t have to do it right away, just think about it.”

“Alright.” Adam nodded, slipping his glasses back on, “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s the spirit.” Sam smiled, turning back to his work, “Just relax for a bit, take a break. Your shift is almost over and everything is fine, don’t worry so much.”

Adam wishes he could tell Sam that he didn’t have the option of now worrying, that there are over a hundred-thousand lives on this ship, but he knows Sam will just fall into debate with him, and knowing Sam he would probably win. So the tanned man resigns to giving up, “I will.”

“Good, good.” Sam waves him off, “Now go relax, and keep my invitation in mind.”

Adam sighs, wishing the scientist a good evening as he turns to leave. He exits the lab just as silently as he entered, none of the scientist paying him any more mind now that they had wen he’d first entered not ten minutes ago.

He steps into the corridor, walking along the narrow hall as his footsteps echo gently off the metal. The glass windows show off the stars of space, a constant reminder of their mission even when he’s left alone with his thoughts. A few people walk past him as he stops to star out into the vast darkness, brown eyes settling on nothing in particular.

Maybe Sam was right.

His methods of dealing with the stress of his position wasn’t the healthiest, and he couldn’t spend all of his free time cooped up inside his apartment and doing nothing. He did need to get out, go to the city, meet the people living in the Dome. He didn’t even need to do any of that, he just needed to get outside and _do_ something. Maybe he _should_  go see the gardens and take time to observe the flora and fauna. He could find a café and pic up a coffee, or visit the farms as see how produce was doing.

He could get his life together, find a restaurant he liked, settle into a routine that didn’t involve being locked away from the rest of the colony. He could meet some artist and pay something to decorate his apartment, maybe even meet someone. Or maybe he could go shopping, see what the citizens where making with the resources they had on hand. Hadn’t the set up an outdoor market by now? He could go and check things out. He didn’t _need_  to speak to people.

Adam nodded.

It would be nice to see Matt and Katie again. Matt was in the Garrison’s Academy right now, and little Katie was probably in the elementary school now. It would be nice to see them again, see how they’d grown. Maybe he could help Matt with his schoolwork, or see if Katie had made any friends. He could bring a gift to make up for not seeing them in a while. And it would be nice to have Italian food from actual Italians again. Colleen and Sam were pretty decent cooks, and something with some spice would be much nicer than what he’d been eating recently.

He would probably talk himself out of it later, but for now he resolved to call Sam after work and him that he _would_  be accepting dinner this week. And maybe he’d find that café later and grab that coffee.

Adam closes his eyes, taking a deep breath as he tries to resolve himself further. He wouldn’t talk himself out of it, he would commit to those plans and go through with them. There wouldn’t be any backing out, he’d do this, he’d make the effort to go out and do things he knew he would enjoy.

Adam opened his eyes, and brown eyes met grey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably should have waited until Season 7 until I started writing an Adashi story, but fuck it, Space Mermaids.
> 
> Haha, someone stop me before I'm writing ten stories at once. I'm serious, someone stop me. I can't stop myself.


End file.
